Enabling VR based conceptual simulations for engineering tasks

In this work new methodologies for interactive 3D (volume) mesh manipulations integrating the overall process chain of linear static analysis are presented. It intends to proof the introduced concepts and to pave the way for conceptual simulations within virtual environments for the engineering domain. The methodologies try to close the 'user in the loop' paradigm for fast 'what-if-analysis' in view of geometrical changes of the given analysis domain within a highly interactive 3D visual environment. The paper is based on previous work of the author and presents an approach of combining real-time computations for topological operations caused by a quality measure on simplicial elements, remeshing of 3D triangular/tetrahedral unstructured meshes during a geometrical and a newly introduced submodelling procedure for complex 3D analysis. The methodologies for mesh manipulations combined with a submodelling procedure allows for local problem solving of a complex global analysis domain enabling fast preliminary local design changes and their impact to local stress fields. The work is motivated as current virtual reality systems are facing a paradigm shift away from pure visualisation and design review systems to more generative environments.